After a BAFTA nod for their short film, Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping decided to adapt “Femme” into a feature film. It premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival and went on to receive a widely positive reception. Starring Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay in the central roles, the film follows a complicated love story that begins with a horrifying tragedy. The script deals with the themes of repression and freedom in relation to their sexuality. Through its neo-noir psychological thriller set-up, the film builds a tender story of two people simply trying to co-exist and find a human connection.
Spoilers Ahead
Femme (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Written and directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, “Femme” is a dark romance thriller about two lovers. The script explores the complications in their relationship as they try to make peace with each other’s ways of life.
What is George MacKay starrer ‘Femme’ about?
“Femme” begins with a scene at the club as Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) prepares for his drag performance in an East London nightclub. Before the performance, Jules walks out for a smoke. There, he notices Preston (George MacKay) looking at him from a distance. But they do not interact. Preston just walks away. Later, after the performance, Jules walks out to a convenience store to buy some cigarettes in full drag. Right after, Preston and his gangster friends walk inside. They notice Jules and mock him with homophobic slurs. Jules reveals he saw Preston checking him out.
Preston feels insulted in front of his mates. So, he walks out, assaults Jules, and strips him naked. Traumatized, Jules walks back naked to the club to his friends. Three months later, we see Jules being reclusive and rarely going out of his apartment. His close friend, Toby (John McCrea), tries to cheer him up and help him get back to his usual self. But Jules stops performing in drag altogether. After Toby walks out of the house, Jules decides to take a stroll. That night, he enters a gay sauna and notices Preston, who is not honest about his sexuality.
Jules & Preston’s Relationship
After their brief meeting in the sauna, Jules follows Preston to his car. Preston invites him in and drives him to his apartment. Throughout the journey, he keeps telling Jules not to reveal this visit to anyone. Then, they reach Preston’s apartment. As soon as the pair takes off their clothes, Preston’s friends show up outside. So, Preston pressures Jules to stay locked inside his room until they leave. Despite Preston’s warning, Jules leaves, wearing the yellow hoodie Preston wore on the night of his assault. Outside, he pretends to be Preston’s old friend.
Preston walks Jules outside, takes his contact number, and then forces him to leave. Later that night, Preston texts him and asks him out on a date. Jules returns home and looks at Jules’ social media. He realizes that Preston has shown no hint of his sexuality. Then, Jules looks online for porn about a closeted man getting exposed. Later, he accepts Preston’s invitation for a date. Preston tells him not to wear anything that can out him. A few days later, Preston drives Jules to a restaurant and treats him with a fine meal. During their conversation, Jules tries to figure out Preston’s intentions and vice versa.
Preston’s Past
Jules realizes that Preston has had a girlfriend. Preston tries to understand whether Jules likes him because he is dominant. Since Jules doesn’t actively oppose him, Preston considers that to be the truth. After the dinner, he drives Jules to a remote place in the woods and forces him to have sex. Then, he abandons Jules and drives away. Jules returns home to find Toby in the middle of a party. Toby is surprised to see Jules having left the house. But Jules doesn’t reveal he went on a date or who he went on a date with. That night, he texts Preston his address but gets no response for a while.
Eventually, Preston asks his friend to click his revealing photos so that he can send them to Preston and get a response. Right after Jules sends a picture, Preston calls him in anger. He doesn’t want Jules to send anything similar and fears his friends will find it. Regardless, it leads Jules to meet Preston. As they have sex in his car, Jules begins shooting a video. So, Preston gets furious and warns Jules never to do that again. Jules apologizes and deletes the clip. He returns home to find Toby and Alicia (Asha Reid). While they have dinner, Jules shares his desire to get back on stage in drag again.
Femme (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
Why isn’t Preston honest about sexuality?
Jules returns to Preston’s house and bumps into his friends in the elevator. He plays video games with them and then joins them for drinks. Through that, he becomes friends with Preston’s friend, Oz (Aaron Heffernan), who keeps insulting Preston throughout the night. Jules realizes the reason Preston isn’t honest about his sexuality is peer pressure and his fear of abandonment. From a young age, Preston stayed with the same group of friends. Although he wants to get out of the world of crime and masculine bravado, he resists that urge out of his fear of loneliness and how he will be perceived.
Preston is stuck in a cycle of toxic masculinity where the only way he feels comfortable is when he is in control of a situation, be it through intimidation or violence. That’s why he is dominant toward Jules. Jules flips this equation and makes Preston jealous by dancing with a woman at the club. Then, outside, he becomes the dominant partner in their relationship, which makes Preston desire him. He takes Preston to his apartment and shoots a video as they have sex. This time, Preston doesn’t stop Jules. Preston spends the night at Jules’ place. He sees a wound on Jules’ face and gets protective of him.
What is the fate of Jules & Preston’s relationship?
The morning after Jules & Preston have sex in Jules’ apartment, Preston has breakfast with him, Toby, and Alicia. Toby invites Preston to Jules’ birthday party. Preston agrees to come. Later, Jules decides to upload their sex video but stops at the last moment. Eventually, Preston arrives at a club for Jules’ birthday celebration, not knowing that Jules will be performing in drag. There, he notices Jules get up on the stage in drag, wearing his yellow hoodie and making fun of the ‘gay basher’ (the person who assaults an LGBTQIA+ person/s) that he seduced.
Preston gets shocked and realizes his history with Jules. After Jules’ performance, Preston meets him backstage. As Jules takes off his makeup, Preston gets furious for not being truthful and for making fun of him. He succumbs to his fury fuelled by his arrogance. They get into a fight. Preston tries to strangle Jules to death, and Jules desperately tries to escape. Shortly after, Preston suddenly breaks into tears and lets Jules go. While Preston lies on the ground, crying, Jules runs back home to find Preston’s birthday present. Inside, he sees a hoodie identical to Preston’s.
